During long-term missions of members of rescue teams in firefighting or civil protection dehydration occurs at after a short period of time in case of light and heavy respirators. This is due to the breathing of dry air or in a warm environment when wearing protective clothing during high work performance. Depending on severity, dehydration may lead to muscle cramps, a sensation of weakness or even to collapse of the person affected.
To prevent health hazards, larger quantities of liquid must be consumed during the use of the respirator. Since removal of the gas mask is not recommended during use, especially in a contaminated environment, the user of the respirator must be given the possibility of drinking through the mask from a reservoir. The liquid is usually carried along separately in a drinking bottle or a beverage bubble, which is connected to the respirator equipment. Via flexible tubes, the fluid enters the mask, where it can be drunk by the user via a mouthpiece.
Such liquid containers differ essentially in terms of handling. While the drinking bottle is usually carried along in a pocket during the mission or is attached to the clothing by means of a spring hook, the beverage bubble is frequently attached to the carrying harness of the heavy respirator. To rule out the risk of entrainment of contaminants, the drinking bottle may be used in a non-contaminated environment only. In case of a beverage bubble, the ports can only be reached by the user during use with difficulty. When preparing the respirator, the beverage bubble is therefore connected to the drinking port of the mask before the mission. A subsequent contamination via the plug-type connection is ruled out hereby.
The prior-art drinking ports are accommodated mostly in the area of the connection device of the mask for the breathing air supply. The drinking tube is wound around the connection device and is stored in the lower area. There usually is a fixed connection between the mask body and the connection device in order to distribute forces acting on the entire mask from the outside. The mouthpiece of the drinking port is brought in these constructions from the parked position into the drinking position by a lateral rotary motion.
A gas mask with a drinking device is known from EP 1 132 112 B1. An adapter, which is bent at right angles outside the mask and has a nonreturn valve with a closing plug, is attached in a rotatably movable manner in a connection piece attached to the mask body. The adapter is connected within the mask to a mouthpiece, through which the user of the mask can be supplied with liquid or food. It is sometimes difficult for the user of the mask to grasp the mouthpiece with his or her lips when needed in order to consume liquid.